Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Christopher columbus essay of voyages
Christopher columbus essay of voyages
Chinese and western culture
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Christopher columbus essay of voyages
The Fifteenth Century was a time of exploration, learning, and heartbreak. England was going through a devastating black plague. China began the century imputing their ideology of individualism ("Ancient China: The 15th Century Fleet"). Spain began the Spain we know as today economic power, art, and exploration ("The Spanish Empire Begins"). Thus, England, China, and Spain all came out of the dark ages stronger than they came in. To begin, in the early 15th century England was still healing the problem of the black plague. The plague took an estimated seventy five million lives all around Europe and the Mediterranean ("History.com"). The death rate from the plague was so high because of how fast it could kill and how easily transmitted it …show more content…
This ended when the emperor Yong’le and began to put his interest into sea voyages and investing greatly into these voyages ("Ancient China: The 15th Century Fleet."). Yong’le chose his lead eunuch to head the ventures to other lands. Zheng the lead eunuch to the emperor led seven expeditions to areas around the now called region of the Indian Ocean ("Ancient China: The 15th Century Fleet."). In 1414 China set out on sea expedition of a large magnitude with a manpower of 30,000 men ("Ancient China: The 15th Century Fleet."). The bulk of the load was carried on massive ships called the galleons which was 400 feet long and could carry a load of about 1,500 tons ("Ancient China: The 15th Century Fleet."). Furthermore, with this fleet they were able to complete large trade expeditions and explore foreign land that prior they did not visit because of their isolation. ("Ancient China: The 15th Century Fleet."). Unfortunately, the fleet saw its last voyage after the death of emperor Yong’le and the induction of the new emperor Xuande allowed for this final voyage where at sea Zheng the eunuch died at sea. Through this expansion started by emperor Yong’le China had and continues to have a growing and mighty naval …show more content…
This led to the discussion of who should inherit the throne ("HISTORY OF SPAIN"). Isabella because of her family or Ferdinand with being married to her and being a man. The nobles of the land decide that Isabella and Ferdinand should rule together and they became known as the two Catholic Monarchs ("HISTORY OF SPAIN"). Ferdinand then inherits the throne of a separate kingdom Aragon which then ultimately unites the two because they came under the rule of the same two monarchs ("HISTORY OF SPAIN"). In 1478 the Pope allowed Ferdinand and Isabella to make a branch off of the inquisition in Spain ("HISTORY OF SPAIN"). This group is formed because of anti-semitic ideology and idea of having a full catholic country ("HISTORY OF SPAIN"). Although around 100,000 jews accept baptism into the catholic faith many of them practice judaism in secret ("HISTORY OF SPAIN"). The inquisition has its first leader appointed named Tomas de Torquemada who holds the position of grand inquisitor ("HISTORY OF SPAIN"). In 1492 all jews not willing to convert to Catholicism are forced to leave the country ("HISTORY OF SPAIN"). Whilst this mass exodus was occurring Ferdinand and Isabella agree to sponsor the trip that has been declined many times brought up by Christopher Columbus to find a route west to India. Columbus sets sail on August third 1492 commanding the largest of three ships the Santa Maria. The other two
The Black Death (also called the "plague" or the "pestilence", the bacteria that causes it is Yersinia Pestis) was a devastating pandemic causing the death of over one-third of Europe's population in its major wave of 1348-1349. Yersinia Pestis had two major strains: the first, the Bubonic form, was carried by fleas on rodents and caused swelling of the lymph nodes, or "buboes", and lesions under the skin, with a fifty-percent mortality rate; the second, the pneumonic form, was airborne after the bacteria had mutated and caused fluids to build up in the lungs and other areas, causing suffocation and a seventy-percent mortality rate.
The years 1348 through 1350 had been an extremely gruesome and miserable time in our world’s history. During this time period, one of the most devastating pandemics in history had struck half the world with an intensifying and deadly blow. It had been responsible for over 75 million deaths and 20 million of these deaths were from Europe alone. Out of the countries that were hit hardest in Europe from mortality rates and economic downturns, England was one of them. This grave disease that marked the end of the middle ages and the start of the modern age is known as the Black Plague.
Before the Black Plague, living in Britain was interesting and positive but, was not always pleasant. It was too crowded and dirty, Britain was disgusting and unsanitary for the citizens for a long period of time, even before the disease spread to Europe (Ibeji n.pag.). Thus, Britain being so dirty, it was easier for this disease to spread. The citizens of Europe had no clue what was coming to disease them. Many people were not ready for the cultural changes of the disease and were shocked the disease even reached their towns.
Accompanied by 27,000 men on 62 large and 255 small ships, the Chinese eunuch Zheng He, led 7 naval expeditions to Southeast Asia, Middle East and east coast of Africa in the span of 28 years during the Ming Dynasty. The scale of Zheng He’s fleet was unprecedented in world history. The large treasure ships used during the expeditions were purported to be 440 feet long and 180 feet wide (Dreyer, p. 102). Throughout his travels, Zheng He brought Chinese tea, porcelain and silk products to foreign countries and also brought back exotic goods to the Ming court such as spices, plants and leather. Although his voyages fostered commercial trades and cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, the goal of his expeditions stemmed from the political motivation to maintain the tributary system and his voyages had important political implication of causing Neo-Confucian opposition and suspension of the expedition.
Late Medieval Europe was a very different time from what Europe is today. It was a time where social mobility was unthinkable; people lived in fear of their creator, and were always trying to please their creator. In addition, Medieval Europe was an unhealthy and unhygienic state, where sickness and disease was rampant. It was a place where women had little to no rights, and minority groups were frequently falsely accused of many problems that were out of their control. For example, they were blamed for drought, which usually resulted in their unjust persecution because they “angered” God. Overall, Europe was the last place one would want to live unless you were of the nobility. On the other hand, Europe was also a major trading power, engaging
(SIP-A) The plague had many ways in spreading its disease making more and more people get sick very rapidly (STEWE-1) .The plague killed roughly half of the population of Europe, In crowded areas people could receive the Plague from fleas that had bitten wild black rats. Once transferred from flea to human it became fatal in days. (S3 27). (STEWE-2) In 1347 many sailors that were dying from the plague were on Italian merchant ships from the Black Sea, which is on the trade route between Europe and China. Within days the sailors on the ship had spread the plague from the port cities to the surrounding countryside, within a year the disease spread as far as England. (S14). (SIP-B) Because of the rapidly spreading disease the mortality rate and decrease of population was very high and greatly affected those who survived. (STEWE-1) Over half of the population had died and extremely quickly, there were so many bodies that there was no more room to bury them, the brutal depopulation is almost unimaginable for those who lived through such a painful time. (S1
The Black Plague came to Europe at a time referred to as the late middle ages. At this time, the quality of living was looking better than in the past
The Bubonic Plague, or more commonly known as ‘The Black Death’ or ‘The Black Plague,’ was one of the most devastating and deadliest pandemics that humans have ever witnessed in the history of mankind. The disease spanned two continents in just a few years, marking every country between Western Europe all the way to China. During the reign of the plague, which is estimated to be the years between 1347-1352, it is estimated that “20 million people in Europe–almost one-third of the continent’s population” was killed off due to the plague. The Black Plague would change the course of European history since the plague knew no boundaries and inflicted its wrath upon the rich and the poor alike. As a result, not only did the plague have a devastating demographic impact which encountered a massive social disruption, but also, an economic and religious impact as well.
The population of Europe itself was reborn during the Renaissance. I was surprised to learn that the population of Europe declined approximately 25 to 50 % during the time of the black plague in the 1300's. Apparently it wasn't until around 1500 that the population started to grow and recover to its previous size. The European economy also looks to have been reborn during the Renaissance, which was desperately needed after the economic upheaval of the fourteenth century. Trade recovered and expanded, along with old and new
In the year 476 A.D., Rome officially fell as the greatest and most thriving empire at the time. The time period following this downfall was called the Middle Ages, more infamously recalled as the Dark Ages; but were these years truly as dark as historians say? These medieval times lasted for approximately one thousand years, could such a long time period have been all that dreadful? The answer will soon become clear. The Middle Ages deserved to have the alias of the Dark Ages because there were several severe illnesses, the monarchs were cruel, and the crusades brought the death of many.
At this time however, cold weather and rains wiped out many crops creating a shortage of food for humans. Rats also went through this shortage in food. This made them “crowd in cities, providing an optimal environment for disease”(Karin Lehnardt in 41 Catastrophic Facts about the Black Death). Before the black death spread through Europe, sanitation wasn’t very good. Living conditions were bad so when the black death came to Europe, it spread more rapidly because people were not clean and healthy. Another reason the plague spread so fast was because the dead “bodies were piled up inside and outside city walls where they lay until mass graves could be dug”(Karin Lehnardt in 41 Catastrophic Facts about the Black Death). This made the air very polluted and contributed the spread of the epidemic. In total, the black death killed about thirty million people. This was about one-third the population of Europe. Some towns were completely wiped out. Because of this, medieval people thought everyone would eventually die, although we now know that some populations did survive. Also, because people were not being saved by the church, their beliefs were questioned. Less people dedicated their lives to the church because of this. Both the poor and the rich died but more than one-half the people dead were poor. This was also a result of poor sanitation and living conditions. The Black Death initiated in China in the early 1340’s
After the reconquest and crusades of Spain by the Christian Spaniards, the leaders of Spain wanted to unify the nation in order to become a stronger and powerful nation. Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II and Isabella I declared Catholicism the best religion to unite Spain and to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms. Despite prejudice against Jews contradicting the stated social and religious morality of most faiths, it has often been used as a tool for political control by governments throughout history. Despite various consequences that could occur during the Spanish Inquisition, Ferdinand and Isabella asked permission from the Pope in 1478 to form the Spanish Inquisition to make the nation stronger and ensure that the people who were
Swollen bodies and red crosses were the most common sites seen by Londoners in the year of 1665. The bitter and gloomy city of London encountered its last major deadly disease in that year. The bubonic plague hit the great city of London in 1665 and killed most of London’s population. The return of the bubonic plague wreaked havoc in the well-known city. The Great Plague of London was a deadly disease that took the lives of about 100,000 which caused the Londoners to have Bills of Mortality to keep track of the weekly death rates, and the disease also inspired poetry and diaries to be written.
In the book, When China Ruled the Seas, Levathes talks about seven voyages made by the Chinese armadas during emperor Zhu Di's reign. Admiral Zheng was in control of many “Treasure ships”. These ships traded silk, porcelain, and many other fine goods. They sailed from India to East Africa, through Korea and Japan, and might have even traveled all the way to Australia. Levathes believes that it could have been very possible for China to have been able to create a great kingdom to rule over one hundred years before the Europeans even explored and expanded, with China's giant navy of about three thousand of these large treasure ships.
Zheng He's first fleet included 27,870 men on 317 ships, including sailors, clerks, interpreters, soldiers, artisans, medical men and meteorologists. On board were large quantities of cargo including silk goods, porcelain, gold and silverware, copper utensils, iron implements and cotton goods. The fleet sailed along China's coast to Champa close to Vietnam and, after crossing the South China Sea, visited Java, Sumatra and reached Sri Lanka by passing through the Strait of Malacca. On the way back it sailed along the west coast of India and returned home in 1407. Envoys from Calicut in India and several countries in Asia and the Middle East also boarded the ships to pay visits to China. Zheng He's second and third voyages taken shortly after, followed roughly the same route.